Chemical Engineering, MS

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Mississippi

Program Overview

The M.S. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Chemical Engineering at the University of Mississippi gives students advanced preparation in transport phenomena, thermodynamics, chemical reaction engineering, and applied mathematics, with a flexible 30-credit structure. Students can choose a thesis, non-thesis, or coursework pathway while developing expertise applicable to areas such as energy, pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, and complex engineering projects.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1:

Students build their graduate-level chemical engineering foundation through approved 500- and 600-level coursework, developing proficiency in transport phenomena, thermodynamics, and chemical reaction analysis. Depending on their interests, courses can include Ch E 560: Advanced Transport Phenomena I, Ch E 561: Advanced Transport Phenomena II, and Ch E 511: Process Dynamics and Control, giving students deeper analytical and process-engineering skills.

Year 2:

Students move toward advanced specialization and independent work through additional approved graduate courses, research, or project-based study. Thesis students complete Ch E 515: Research Seminar and at least 6 hours of Engr 697: Thesis, while the non-thesis route includes at least 3 hours of Engr 693/Engr 694 project work; available graduate study also includes courses such as Ch E 593: Graduate Projects in Chemical Engineering and Ch E 550: Membrane Science and Engineering.

Focus Areas:

Advanced chemical processes, transport phenomena, thermodynamics, chemical reaction engineering, process dynamics and control, biochemical engineering, drug and gene delivery, polymer processing, membrane science and engineering, colloid and surface science, biomaterials and drug delivery, advanced materials, energy-related applications, and research-driven chemical engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop advanced knowledge of chemical engineering science, quantitative and applied-mathematical problem solving, transport and thermodynamic analysis, chemical reaction analysis, independent project execution, research skills, technical communication, and the ability to apply engineering knowledge to complex professional and research problems.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The M.S. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Chemical Engineering is not separately listed as ABET-accredited. The University of Mississippi's B.S. in Chemical Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, while the university is accredited by SACSCOC to award master's and doctoral degrees.

Reputation (Research & Employability):

The University of Mississippi has maintained R1 research university status since 2015, placing it among institutions with the highest level of research activity. The Chemical Engineering department emphasizes interdisciplinary graduate research in Transforming Properties, Advanced Materials, Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, and High Speed Aeroacoustics, while the university highlights opportunities to work with faculty experts and industry partners through its research centers.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Chemical Engineering at the University of Mississippi is strongly research-oriented, giving students the opportunity to work directly with faculty on advanced chemical engineering problems. Students can pursue hands-on research in areas such as advanced materials, selective membrane separations, polymeric drug and gene delivery, and high-speed flows, while the program's thesis and research options provide opportunities to develop independent research and project skills.

The department provides access to specialized research instrumentation and university-wide engineering resources, allowing students to combine laboratory experimentation with computational analysis. Research is supported by facilities and centers across the School of Engineering, with faculty-student projects emphasizing practical problem-solving and interdisciplinary collaboration:

Chemical Engineering Research: Current research includes Transforming Properties, Advanced Materials, Biomaterials and Drug Delivery, and High Speed Aeroacoustics, giving graduate students opportunities to participate in faculty-led research projects.
Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation: Used to detect extremely small changes in mass at the molecular level, supporting research into material and surface properties.
Attension Theta Contact Angle Analyzer: Used to investigate the surface properties of materials, particularly relevant to materials and membrane research.
Light Scattering Spectrometers: Enable researchers to examine how nanoparticles scatter light under different material and solution conditions.
Anechoic Jet Laboratory: Supports research into turbulence, jet-noise reduction, high-speed two-phase flows, and shockwave/boundary-layer interactions.
Engineering research centers: Ole Miss engineering centers provide interdisciplinary research opportunities involving advanced materials, medical technologies, sustainable infrastructure, nanotechnology, and manufacturing.
MATLAB: The university maintains a campus MATLAB license that can be installed on university/lab computers and used by researchers.
Mathematica: Ole Miss also provides a campus Mathematica license for research use.
Computer and remote-lab resources: Chemical Engineering students are expected to use Windows-based computing because some engineering applications and simulation/design tools require a Windows x86-64 environment; university and departmental remote-lab resources are available where needed.
Research projects and thesis work: The M.S. curriculum includes opportunities for individual design or research projects through ENGR 6999F: Special Topics in Engineering Science, ENGR 6999D: Research Topics in Engineering Science I, and ENGR 6997A: Thesis.
Faculty mentorship: Graduate students can contact Chemical Engineering faculty regarding current openings in their research laboratories, allowing them to align their practical experience with specific research interests.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Chemical Engineering at the University of Mississippi prepares graduates to apply advanced chemical engineering science—including transport phenomena, thermodynamics, chemical reaction engineering, and applied mathematics—to complex professional and research problems. Ole Miss specifically identifies career pathways across engineering, medicine, professional education, public policy, management, sales, and research, with the program also providing preparation for further doctoral study.

Typical job roles: Chemical Engineer, Process Engineer, R&D Engineer, Process Development Engineer.

Key career-development opportunities include:

Career services: Ole Miss Engineering hosts twice-yearly career fairs, company information sessions, and hands-on career events, connecting engineering students with hundreds of employers recruiting for full-time positions, co-ops, and internships. Students also receive résumé, interview, networking, and job-search support through workshops and the university's Career Center.
Employer connections: The university uses Handshake for job postings, recruiting events, and employer-student connections, while the Career Center facilitates on-campus interviews and employer information sessions.
Industry exposure: Ole Miss Chemical Engineering highlights access to industry professionals and successful alumni, while its research centers provide opportunities to work alongside faculty experts and industry partners on engineering innovation projects.
Employment statistics: The official Chemical Engineering pages do not currently publish an M.S.-specific employment rate or salary figure, so a program-specific salary or placement percentage should not be assumed.
Career breadth: The department identifies careers in manufacturing, petrochemicals, oil and gas, biotechnology, environmental fields, pharmaceuticals, food, and personal-care industries, giving graduates multiple sectors in which to apply their chemical engineering expertise.
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Ole Miss is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The M.S. itself is not separately listed as ABET-accredited, so the ABET accreditation should not be presented as accreditation of the master's degree.
Graduate outcomes: The program develops the ability to independently execute complex projects and conduct research that generates and communicates new knowledge, supporting pathways into engineering practice, research, management, sales, and other professional areas.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S., students can continue into the Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in Chemical Engineering at Ole Miss. The Ph.D. requires at least 54 graduate credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, including dissertation research, a qualifying examination, research proposal, dissertation prospectus, and dissertation; students with an undergraduate degree outside Chemical Engineering may need additional prerequisite coursework.